In the face of hurtful public discourse and worldwide conflict, many Christians long for lives of genuine compassion. After all, centuries of Christian teachings have insisted that compassion forms the heart of the Christian life.

But what does it mean to be compassionate in the way Jesus was? What does wise, courageous, world-transforming compassion look like in daily life? And assuming we know what compassion is, how do we form true compassion in our lives? How do we become compassionate toward ourselves and others—even those we experience as enemies?

In response to such questions, psychologists, scientists, and religious teachers have begun offering meditative practices that cultivate compassion. But what about Christianity? Do compassion practices show up within the Christian spiritual path? It turns out they do. But the compassion-forming power of these practices has been largely overlooked—until now.

In Living Compassion, Andrew Dreitcer leads us through compassion practices that appear from the earliest centuries of Christianity right up to the present. Each practice, whether ancient or contemporary, moves us from understanding compassion to truly living compassion.